The Match

Half a dozen cars passed me on the way home tonight on the top road, instead of the usual steady stream of schoolmums and boy racers burning up the open road after leaving the city behind. I cycled past the pub listening for tell-tale sounds of anguish or glory, pedalled through the village next to ours - ghost village, up the hill in our village - not a murmur - stopped off for a Magnum at the Village Store and had the first half goal reenacted for my benefit by the store owner who struggled to pull his eyes away from the mini-tv behind the chocolate stands to give me my change.

The Hall doubled up as a Big Screen venue this afternoon.